Bible In The News

Welcome to the Bible in the News. So what is in the news, and how does it connect with the Bible? During the past week two significant speeches have been in the news. One was given by the pope who has been touring his native Bavaria in Germany. The other speech was given by Britain's Prime Minister, Tony Blair, who was visiting Israel and the Middle East.

Welcome once again to another edition of our weekly 'Bible in the News' programme. As reports of growing anti-Semitism are heard from Britain, from Australia, Canada and other countries it becomes obvious that one reason for it all is the pressure of Islamic groups, and the willingness of media-men to submit to it. But hiding behind the cloak of Islamic fanaticism, there are other parties who are quite happy with the trend, and who are even willing to encourage it--and among these are the Christian left-wing groups who have a disproportionate influence over both the print and electronic media. There is no doubt that the world today is faced with an unreasonable prejudice against not only the Jewish people, but also against the Israeli State and its Zionism.

Welcome to some more news that shows us how the Bible's road-map of prophecy is on track, and moving in the direction that was foretold. While the Middle East continues to simmer, and Israel looks at its bruises, and the Arabs assess the Iranian threat to themselves--the rest of the world also has to ponder the Islamic threat. A survey held by Britain's Daily Telegraph last week revealed that 53 percent of Britons believe that Islam now poses a threat to western democracy. And if that is true for Britain, we can be sure that the rest of Europe is feeling the same sort of thing in varying degrees.

Welcome to another edition of the Bible in the News with Paul Billington speaking with you from Canada. As we speak with you this week, the world is watching to see if the Lebanon cease-fire will hold, whether the United Nations can do what it has been asked to do, whether the Olmert Government of Israel can survive--and basically, where do things go from here.

Hello again: This is Paul Billington discussing the Bible in the News, in one more edition of our weekly analysis. Well, the war--if it really is over--has not achieved all that we had anticipated and hoped for--namely the tranquil situation described in Ezekiel 38:11. But the present inconclusive situation that we now see, cannot persist indefinitely. The results to look for have not changed, even if their achievement might seem to have been postponed--And the Scriptures upon which our expectations are based, have not changed either.

With the war in Lebanon at an uncertain stage, and with many of our Israeli friends now in the midst of battle--this is Paul Billington bringing you another edition of our weekly Bible in the News programme.

This is the Bible in the News brought to you this week by Paul Billington. While many of us are wondering how far the current Middle East War might spread Britain's Tony Blair pressed a few buttons in a speech given in Los Angeles this week. He connected to the Middle East crisis--to the Israeli-Palestinian issue and to the much wider issue of Islamic fundamentalism versus democracy. Mr Blair pressed a few sensitive buttons--and some of them were right, while others were decidedly off the mark and unworkable.

Today July 26th 2006: Israeli ground forces are at war in Lebanon; Haifa, Israel's third largest city is in a state of siege from Hezbollah rockets, as are most other northern Israeli cities as far south as Tiberias, as 120 Hezbollah rockets land--today; looking for a solution in Rome, an international peace conference fails to set guidelines for a cease fire in Lebanon and also fails to mention or condemn Hizbullah, Katyusha rocket fire on Israel or the abduction of the Israeli soldiers; and nine Israeli soldiers are killed in a Hezbollah ambush as Israel pushes deeper into Lebanon. This is David Billington with Bible in the News.

Welcome to the July 19th edition of Bible in the News, this is Dave Billington. King Saul tried again and again to kill David, he pursued him from one end of the land to the other. Saul knew that it was God's purpose for David to be the next king--David, a neighbour of his that was better than him. At one point King Saul was pursuing David in the wilderness of Maon. Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain, David was hurrying away for fear of Saul--he almost had him. Saul and his men were closing in for the kill. Then all of a sudden a messenger came to Saul and said: "Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land." So Saul left pursuing David and went against the Philistines. This is a wonderful example of the hand of God at work behind the scenes, moving events in a predetermined direction towards the establishment of the kingdom of David which was the Kingdom of God.

This is another edition of the Bible in the News with Paul Billington of the Bible Magazine. And of course, there is plenty of News for us to talk about--and the problem for us each week is in choosing which news story to focus on--because many of them in one way and another can be related to the Bible. This week for instance it had been my intention to comment on the visit of Pope Benedict to Spain, seeing this as part of the Vatican's overall strategy to coax Europe back to its Catholic roots.

This is the Bible in the News with Paul Billington once again--and it has been a week with many events in the news relating in one way and another to the Bible. It is incredible that less than one year since Israel itself expelled its citizens from Gush Katif in the Gaza strip, Hamas has come to power there and Kassam rockets are falling upon Ashkelon in Israel. What kind of "Disengagement" is that? Well it isn't is it? Israeli tanks are now engaged in racing around Gaza in the hope of persuading these Palestinians to let a kidnapped soldier return home. It doesn't take much wisdom to see that the policies of the former Sharon government, as well as that of the present Government under Ehud Olmert, is totally bankrupt. All the warnings that were given by Israel's right wing, as to what would follow Disengagement, have proved to be correct, and some!

Hello again: This is the Bible in the News brought to you by Paul Billington--and the news is centered again this week on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hello again! This is Paul Billington looking at the News from a Bible perspective--and therefore somewhat selectively, choosing news items that demonstrate the Truth that lies behind the headlines.

Bringing you the Bible’s view of the news, after many weeks absence, this is Paul Billington back with you again to look at what is going on--and how it fits in with what the prophets have told us to expect.

The Israeli Knesset has approved the 2006 budget 158 days late, with a vote of 53-22 with 45 abstaining. Five of collation Labour party MKs left the plenum in rebellion over the budget--not a good sign for the government as many polititions are saying that the real battle will be the 2007 budget. Throw Olmert's controversial "convergence plan" into the mix and you have a very unstable government. This is David Billington with the weekly Bible in the News.

This week, the Pope visits Auschwitz and asks why God was silent during the Holocaust; Qassam rockets land in the south of Israel, in Strerot, with a direct hit on a house very close to the defense ministers; Katyusha rockets, shelling and gunfire on the northern border of Israel from Hizbullah; ten months after the expulsion from Gush Katif,111 families are not even living in temporary prefab structures; meanwhile, there are orders from the Israeli government to destroy 12 outpost communities in the West Bank. It's the May 31st edition of the Bible in the News. This week, we are going to discuss some of these questions with the editor of Israelireporter.com.

With you for the weekly Bible in the News program, is Dave Billington, as Paul continues his lecturing tour in Australia. I don't know if President Bush takes time out every week to listen to The Bible in the News, but if you don't Mr. President, it's certainly time you did -- in fact you would find this week particularly interesting having just visited with the PM of Israel, Ehud Olmert. You discussed with him is plan to expel many Jews from their homes in the west bank, or Judea and Samaria; he said, that unless the Palestinians negotiate to let him give them the land, he will force them to have it! (My paraphrase.)

Welcome friends, to the May 17th edition of Bible in the News with Dave Billington. This week the "International Aerospace Exhibition" is taking place in Berlin. You may be surprised to find out who the largest exhibitor is at this international show -- so big they had to especially construct a new 3,000 square meter pavilion, just for this exhibitor! It is not the European Union or even the United States. It's Russia. Yes, Russia is back in a big way. The Russian News and Information Agency reported this information under the heading: "Growing Russian Aerospace Industry to Display its Products in Berlin." Gone are the days of a starving population with Russia begging the west for aid, today Russia is flexing its muscles. The difference for Russia now, in comparison to the cold war era, is all the doors are open to the west and the lucrative markets in Europe. The International Herald Tribune Reports that Russia supplies a third of Germany's gas needs and a quarter of the EU's, sales totalling $25.7 billion,

This is Dave Billington with this week's Bible in the News. The ancient city of Hebron is a city that resounds with events of faith. Abraham the father of the faithful is buried there with Sarah his wife; Caleb, one of the faithful spies choose Hebron for his portion in the land of Canaan, the place where the giants were and the cities great and fenced; and Samson carried the gates of Gaza all night and around the time the sun arose this mighty man filled with the spirit of God placed the gates of Gaza on a hill before Hebron, no doubt with the promise to Abraham in mind, that his seed would possess the gate of his enemies.

This is Dave Billington with you for this week's Bible in the News. On Tuesday of this week Berlusconi resigned as Italian PM, clearing the way for Romano Prodi to become the next Prime Minister of Italy. What does this have to do with the Bible? Stay tuned to find out.